1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clothes and article hangers. More specifically, the present invention pertains to a collapsible clothes hanger that is capable of enclosing its elements within its arms and that allows a user to transport the hanger in a collapsed state between uses.
Tending to clothes that must be placed on a hanger to avoid wrinkling while on the go and while traveling can be a bothersome task. This task becomes particularly bothersome when traveling for an extended period, and where no hanger articles are readily available for supporting clothes while not being worn. Articles of clothing such as jackets, suits, and dress shirts generally require a hanger to properly store the articles in a suspended position, whereby their material does not become creased, bunched, or wrinkled. However, the ability for one to travel with a full-size hanger is limited and rather undesirable, as the hanger consumes space in a travel bag or gym bag and its transport is not efficient.
Several common situations require the use of a clothes hanger while away from home, whereby clothing articles require support between uses. One common situation is when traveling for business, where an individual will generally wear business attire for a portion of the trip and change into casual wear when not actively attending to a business function. While most hotel rooms offer business travelers a means to hang clothing, some provide inadequate hanger types that do not properly support for suits, shirts, and jackets, leaving hanger marks on the clothing. Yet another common situation requiring a hanger article is when visiting the gymnasium after work or before a workday. Many individuals who enjoy exercising during the day are required to wear business attire to their workplace. In order to ensure that the business attire is properly stored when removed at the gym or prior to being donned at the gym in the mornings, a hanger article is essential. Additionally, individuals commonly hang business attire on a hanger in the individual's car while driving to or from work. Again, however, traveling with a full size hanger, or multiple hangers as the case may be, is a bothersome and inefficient prospect.
The present invention describes a new and novel travel hanger device that efficiently collapses into an enclosed unit, whereby the collapsed device can be placed into a travel bag and consume minimal volume therein. The device comprises a first and second hingedly attached arm having an open underside area and an upper surface for supporting the shoulders of an article of clothing. A pair of folding pants bar elements extends from within the interior of the open arms, such that when deployed, the device forms a triangular hanger shape with an upper hook that is also collapsible into the interior of the hanger arms. In this way, the concave or hollow arms close together over the elements of the hanger when collapsed to provide a device that can easily be stowed within luggage when traveling. The hanger of the present invention further comprises an elastic cord that can be removably secured to the arms of the hanger such that the elastic cord is disposed over the pants bar elements. In this way, a user may secure pants or other garments to the pants bar elements by means of the elastic cord.
The ability to travel with a collapsed and enclosed hanger article allows clothing items to be suspended as required between uses, while also consuming as little volume as possible while stowed within the user's luggage. The shape of the collapsed device provides a device with a small cross section and that encloses the elements of the hanger to prevent the hooks or grooves of the hanger from catching or pulling on other items. This improves on most common collapsible hangers in that the article is enclosed within an interior volume, and further improves on the method of carrying a full-size hanger device while traveling.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices have been disclosed in the prior art that relate to collapsible hangers for storage and transport purposes. These include devices that have been patented and published in patent application publications, and generally relate to hangers that include hinges for folding or collapsing into a condensed shape. No devices disclose a structure that both supports larger garments while hanging and one that encloses the collapsed elements of the hanger when stowed, as provided by the present invention. The following is a list of devices deemed most relevant to the present disclosure, which are herein described for the purposes of highlighting and differentiating the unique aspects of the present invention, and further highlighting the drawbacks existing in the prior art.
Specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,795 to Wallick discloses a collapsible hanger device for suspending clothing items therefrom, wherein the device comprises a first, second, and third hanger arm pivotally attached to one another to form a triangular hanger structure that is collapsible into a condensed form. The horizontal hanger arm has two segments that allow it to fold in half, while the other members attach to the ends of the horizontal hanger arm to fold the assembly into an aligned state. The Wallick device is a standard collapsible hanger device that allows its members to fold over one another and align into a single lined formation. The present invention adds to the art of collapsible hangers in that it incorporates a first and second hanger arm forming a widened shoulder support for clothing articles and also forming an enclosure for the elements of the hanger to collapse into when the first and second hanger arm are collapsed and joined together. Further, the present invention is distinguished over Wallick in its disclosure of an elastic cord that can be removably secured to the arms of the hanger and that enables a user to secure garments over the pants bar element of the hanger.
The ability to collapse the hanger structure into an enclosed unit provides several benefits for the user. Among these is the ability to easily stow the compact unit within a luggage article, whereby the device will not snag other items in the luggage and the overall unit will consume very little space therein. Further still, the condensed unit provides a structure that is easy to handle and to carry from one location to another. Finally, the internal components are protected from view such that the device appears as an enclosed structure with a unique and attractive design.
It is submitted that the present invention is substantially divergent in design elements from the prior art, and consequently it is clear that there is a need in the art for an improvement to existing collapsible hanger devices. In this regard the instant invention substantially fulfills these needs.